SAN FRANCISCO– The higher the dose of gonadotropin for ovarian stimulation, the lower the live birth rate, a retrospective study of 541,967 cycles of assisted reproductive technology showed.
The inverse correlation was less evident in older patients than in younger patients and in those who might be expected have a more normal response, Dr. Valerie L. Baker and her associates reported at the annual meeting of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine.
The findings were consistent regardless of the number of oocytes retrieved or the woman’s age, said Dr. Baker, chief of the division of reproductive endocrinology and infertility at Stanford (Calif.) University.
In a video interview, she talked about the study and why it has made her think twice about using very high doses of gonadotropins.
Dr. Baker reported financial associations with Good Start Genetics, Ovuline, Roche, the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technologies, and Teva Pharmaceuticals.
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